KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS Takes Position in Westamerica Bancorporation (NASDAQ:WABC)

KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS bought a new stake in shares of Westamerica Bancorporation (NASDAQ:WABC) during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund bought 5,200 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $273,000.

Several other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the stock. Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new stake in Westamerica Bancorporation in the 4th quarter worth about $3,647,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its stake in shares of Westamerica Bancorporation by 68.0% in the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 81,459 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $4,026,000 after buying an additional 32,981 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Westamerica Bancorporation by 4.1% in the third quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 735,439 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $36,352,000 after acquiring an additional 28,902 shares in the last quarter. Barclays PLC increased its position in shares of Westamerica Bancorporation by 103.8% during the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 52,755 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $2,606,000 after acquiring an additional 26,871 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its holdings in Westamerica Bancorporation by 7.4% during the third quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 334,297 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $16,521,000 after acquiring an additional 22,902 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 81.89% of the company’s stock.

Westamerica Bancorporation Stock Down 5.4 %

WABC stock opened at $45.39 on Monday. The stock has a market cap of $1.21 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.73 and a beta of 0.63. The company has a current ratio of 0.27, a quick ratio of 0.26 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $50.57 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $52.02. Westamerica Bancorporation has a 1-year low of $44.51 and a 1-year high of $59.97.

Westamerica Bancorporation (NASDAQ:WABC) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 16th. The financial services provider reported $1.19 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.19. Westamerica Bancorporation had a net margin of 44.55% and a return on equity of 16.15%. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.48 EPS. Analysts expect that Westamerica Bancorporation will post 4.35 EPS for the current year.

Westamerica Bancorporation Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 14th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 3rd were given a dividend of $0.44 per share. This represents a $1.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.88%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 3rd. Westamerica Bancorporation’s dividend payout ratio is currently 33.85%.

Westamerica Bancorporation Profile

Westamerica Bancorporation operates as a bank holding company for the Westamerica Bank that provides various banking products and services to individual and commercial customers. The company accepts various deposit products, including retail savings and checking accounts, as well as certificates of deposit.